


Sunrise

by DarthChocolate



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-13
Packaged: 2021-02-24 16:28:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21780973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarthChocolate/pseuds/DarthChocolate
Summary: The Sunset girl's journey from slave to free woman. It mentioned my theory of why she looked so messed up in the novel.This is an offshoot of "Azor Ahai" story and oneshoot
Kudos: 1





	Sunrise

North of Volantis stood the town of Selhorys. Despites its’ domes, towers and gates, Selhorys was simple a town under Volantis rule. There lived a bed slave called Sunset. She was owned by a man named Marqelo along with a dozen other slaves. The name “bed slave” didn’t simple refer to slaves pleasuring people in beds. It had been a common practice for masters to leave the slaves chained to beds. Marqelo had a modest size brothel in town. His dream was to have a grand house behind the Black Walls of Volantis. Most of his slaves’ goals had been to survive another day. All their hopes came crashing down under Dothraki battle cries. Sunset watched from a widow. All the cobblestone roads were drenched in blood. The Dothraki warriors slayed all the tiger cloaks, who were the slave guards of the town. The Dothraki rounded up all the townspeople. Nobles gave up all their gold and riches to the Dothraki in order to be spared. Marqelo tossed his bag of gold and shoved his slaves towards them. Paying the Dothraki had worked for centuries. These Dothraki under a greedy khal didn’t accept the nobles’ offer. They slaughtered most of the rich men. Everyone was shocked and scared as the Dothraki herded them away. Even, the normally numb Sunset had been saddened to see the old woman Irodel who washed everyone’s clothes dead. The old woman had been kind and was no threat. Sunset learned from experience kindness equals death. The Dothraki led them out of the Selhorys. The townspeople feared that they were being led to their deaths.

After marching along for half a day, the Dothraki allowed them to stop and rest. The Dothraki wanted to be entertained as they ate. They surprisingly chose the noblemen and rich men’s wives and daughters for their amusement. Most of the bed slaves remained unravaged. “Why weren’t we taken instead?” The slaves wondered.

Perlea, a silver haired Lysene slave girl gestured to her chains. “We’re already beaten down. There is no thrill in it.”

Slaves like Sunset no longer feared death. They mostly desired an end to the pain. The noblewomen were terrified of the enemies’ arakhs. Marqelo pranced around like a fool so the Dothraki wouldn’t slit his throat. It was dusk when a Dothraki finally grabbed Perlea to have his way with her. Before he could, an unknown group ambushed them.

They vanquished the Dothraki and untied the captives. The group had to be sellswords. Yet, what sellsword would willing fight Dothraki? They must have been sellsword since they heard stories about female sellswords. A silver- golden haired Lysene woman carried a blood arahk in her hands. “This khas must have lingered away from the khalasar. Another khas might have detached as well. We should pursue them.”

“Not at the stake of these captives’ lives, Marra,” their leader wrapped a blanket around Sunset’s shoulders. “My name is Xandarro. We are the ‘Wolf of the Rose.’ We are here to rescue you from the Dothraki.” He placed Sunset on Marra’s horse. “Be gentle with her.” Xandarro organized their transport and tried to get everyone on a horse. There weren’t enough horses. Some people had to share. “I’m sorry. I guess you’re stuck riding with me.”

“That’s alright.” Perlea was content to just get away from those savage Dothraki.

“Oh here,” Xandarro took off his shirt and handed it to her to wear, “to replace the clothes that you lost.”

Perlea didn’t correct him by telling him that she hadn’t been wearing anything above her waist. She was touched by his kind gift.

They rode through the night to reach their camp. The injured captives were brought to the sellswords’ healers. Sunset was one of the first people seen by the healers. “Greetings, I’m Osric. What’s your name?” She didn’t respond. “That’s fine. I’m a healer. I’m here to help you.” He checked her eyes, ears, and throat. He placed some lotion on her bruises and scars.

Xandarro approached them and sat down near him. “How is she? Is she very ill?”

“She has no diseases that I can find.” Osric wrapped up a cut on her elbow.

Xandarro worried. “Then, why is her skin so pale?”

Osric took a deep breath. “I believe she was given a poison called Elephant’s Foot. It’s used by masters to make slaves more obedient if it doesn’t kill them first. Between this, the scourges and signs of slight starvation is the reason for the pale skin. I’ve gave her some medicine.” He leaned over to Xandarro’s ear. “I’m not sure it will work, but I’ll keep trying.” Osric gave Sunset some tea. He helped her drink it and moved to the next injured person.

Lady Nogarys insisted that her young son and daughter go before her. Her son had a few bruises. Her daughter had nasty gashes from being raped. Lady Nogarys held her daughter as the girl cried from the Myrish fire being poured on the cuts. “Will the cuts heal alright?” Lady Nogarys fretted.

“They shouldn’t leave much of a scar,” Osric wiped off the additional Myrish fire.

“I don’t understand. We gave the Dothraki their tribute. They still attacked us.” Lady Nogarys hugged her daughter tightly.

Xandarro handed out blankets to the townspeople. “The rumor is Khal Pono is desirous of conquest.”

“They killed my husband, while he was surrendering to them. They dragged my son and beat him like a stubborn goat.” She gently strokes her daughter’s head. “They raped us. They’re savages. How could they do that?”

“I wouldn’t know. Though you would,” Xandarro lowered his voice and hinted at the slaves on the other side of the tent. “Since, you have been doing those things to them for centuries.”

Lady Nogarys wanted to object or be outrage at the mere accusation. Her every memory appeared to her in a new light. She couldn’t argue with him because he had been right. The next morning, she didn’t protest his group’s request.

“How can we repay you for saving our lives?” The townspeople asked the sellswords.

“We set you free. All that we would ask in return is that everyone here remains free. No one is a slave to the Dothraki or anyone else any longer.”

It was a simple request. It irked Marqelo greatly. “He wants us to give up our slaves. How dare he?!”

Another master proved more prudent. “We were willing to give the Dothraki all our money and slaves. They are asking for far less. It’s not a terrible burden.”

“For you perhaps,” Marqelo scoffed. “My brother owns a large brothel in Volantis. In a few months, I could earn enough money to rebuild my own brothel. I won’t lose my dreams to these foreigners.”

One of the sellswords’ dogs wandered through the camp. It was a rather large dog. Most of the townspeople were scared of it and backed away. Sunset didn’t budge as the dog approached her. It licked her arm and laid down next to her. A tall man came over to retrieve the dog as Marqelo walked towards Perlea. Marqelo crept close to her and gave her a small jar. “You are going to pour this in Xandarro’s drink.”

“Is it poison?” Her voice trembled.

“Of course, you dimwit.”

“Master,” Perlea held her hands up in refusal. “We are still endangered from the Dothraki. Surely, you should wait until we are safe in Volantis. We need their protection. Perhaps, you might recon –“

Marqelo slapped her across her face hard, “what I need is for you to obey.”

“I won’t.”

He was about to strike her again, until the tall sellsword yanked Marqelo up in the air by his arm. “A true man never hurts a woman.”

“What’s going on here?” Xandarro ran towards Marqelo’s screams. “Frost?”

“This man hit the silver haired woman.”

“Is this true?” Perlea confirmed it. Xandarro questioned him. “Why did you hit her?”

“She…” Marqelo was afraid to tell the truth. “She wouldn’t give me her piece of chicken.”

No one could fathom his ridicule reason. “There are plenty of piece of chicken for you to eat.” A young girl with an arakh pointed to a dish full of them.

“She is my slave,” Marqelo slammed his fist down. “She is supposed to obey me!”

“Not anymore,” Xandarro snatched a bag of coins from him.

Marqelo protested, “that’s my money.”

“No, that’s their money.” Xandarro distributed coins to each of his former slaves. “They earned it. Now, you have earned to be left behind with only a flask of water.”

“How will I get to Volantis?” Marqelo looked to the other nobles for help. They turned their backs on him.

“See that large river. Walk south.” Osric mocked, “you better start moving those stubby legs of yours.”

As the group rode off, Marqelo shouted curses and insults at them. Marra remained behind with him for a few minutes. She strokes him three times with her crop. “You, stupid flea,” she slid out her whip. “If it were up to me,” her whip snapped at the side of him. Marqelo fell down in fear. “I’ll flog you with my tail.” She laughed at his terror and rode towards the group.

The ‘Wolf of the Rose’ company had paid a Greenblood for use of his ship to sail down the river. Xandarro offered to take the townspeople almost anywhere that they wished to go. “We can take you to Volantis, or as I mentioned before, as far as Pentos.”

They didn’t know where to go. Their whole lives had been in Selhorys. Lady Nogarys spoke with Xandarro privately. “There is a small village northeast of Orange Shore. We’ll be safe there. I swear on my family’s honor and my children’s lives. No one will be enslaved again there.” She arranged for all the former slaves to receive money and planned for land for them to grow crops.

Not everyone was well enough to go work on their own. Marra’s squire Tzilla sought out Xandarro. “She won’t talk. Now, I can’t get her to drink the chalk tea, and she is sitting in the corner of the cabin. I don’t know what to do.”

“Who won’t drink their medicine?” Xandarro tried to calm down the young girl.

“She has red hair and freckles.”

He placed his hand on Tzilla’s shoulder. “I’ll go ask around for her name. You got fetch Osric. He’ll tell you what to do.”

Perlea overheard Xandarro’s question to the others and answered. “They call her Sunset since she came from the Sunset Sea.”

“Westeros,” Xandarro understood what she meant. “Do you know how she got so… hurt?”

“She displeased our master.” Perlea twisted a strain of her hair nervously. “He sends unruly slaves to the cellar for punishment. You can’t hear them scream as well down there. She had been punished harshly several months ago. Will you help her?”

“We’ll try.”

“I know,” Perlea tugged lightly on her shirt that he gave her and could feel the coins in her pockets. She knew Sunset best chance to heal would come from them.

They were less confident than her. Osric looked over old scrolls. They mentioned the problem, but nothing concerning a method to help. Tzilla desperately pleaded with Sunset to leave the corner and eat something. It had been a one-sided discussion.

“Tzilla did well. Don’t worry. A man will take over the girl’s care.” Frost stood next her in Sunset’s cabin.

Tzilla stared up at him with her golden eyes. “Do you know how to help her?”

“No, but Fisher does.”

Fisher was a big dark dog. The dog had entered the room and laid down next to Sunset. Tzilla had been dishearten and sadden that Sunset became worst after they switched ships. She, another girl Mansi and the older woman Bathi spent a few nights with Sunset. They hoped the company would make her feel better since all the townspeople had left. Sunset didn’t behave any better. Tzilla conceded to Frost’s idea. She didn’t have much faith that a dog could help her. Fisher proved to be a loyal dog. He stayed by Sunset’s side all night long.

Things soon changed one morning. Sunset woke from a nightmare and kicked Fisher by accident. It had been a hard kick, and she expected the dog to bit her. Fisher just licked her and gently nuzzled up against her. Her guilt made her cry. She started crying and trembling often. She would wake up screaming each night.

“She has gotten worse.” Bathi worried as she ate her breakfast.

Osric scratched his chin. “Actually, I think this is an improvement.”

“You haven’t lost two nights rest from it.” Marra complained. “I swear if she screams another night, I’m gagging her.”

“Don’t be cruel,” Osric replied.

Bathi put her cup down. “We’ll switch cabins, so you don’t hear her while you sleep.”

The ship arrived at Lys. Marra departed to visit the city, while the ship remained at the port. That night, Sunset again woke up screaming. This time, Frost came over to her and held her. Sunset was terrified. He proceeded to cradle her in his arms and sang softly to her. After an hour or two, she stopped crying. He laid her back down on her blanket and returned to the opposite corner of the room from her.

In the morning, Frost laid out food and a cup of water out in front of her. While she ate, he took Fisher outside to walk. Another dog named Mazzie would stay with her. Frost would return with another meal for her in the afternoon. He reached out his hand and offered, “Would a woman like to see the water?” She leaned against the wall shivering. Frost retracked his hand and grabbed her chamber pot to clean out. He spent the rest of the afternoon with Mazzie. She was a bit smaller than Fisher and had black fur. The black dog enjoyed tugging on a piece of rope and fetching a ball. Sunset became curious about the game. When Frost was gone in the morning, she soon began throwing the ball for Mazzie. It had been his routine to give her food and clean her chamber pot. Every night, he slept on the opposite side of her room. Sunset kept expecting him to creep over to hurt or rape her. He never did. Frost would only come over to rock her and sing to her after she had a nightmare. Her nightmares lessened. She mustered up enough courage to let him hold her hand.

Frost led her to the deck of the ship. The air had a cold breeze. The beach was adored in various lush trees. She admired staring at the seals dancing in the water. The sailors frightened her. Then, most people on the ship scared her. Sunset felt safe with the dogs. Fisher would go in between her and any sailor who came too close. He let out a low warning growl.

Little Mansi went and brush Sunset’s hair as they looked out at the water. This gave Frost an idea of letting Sunset brush the dogs’ fur. He taught her how to clean and wash the dogs. He picked the best-behaved dogs for her to work with. She enjoyed brushing the dogs’ fur. Frost and Mansi would tell stories while they worked. Mansi discussed her life. She had been born in Npo Bata. Tzilla was her cousin. Monsters had killed Tzilla’s mother and Mansi’s father. Mansi rode on zorse, when she was back home. Tzilla added to the story. That she has a horse named Feather. She immediately begged everyone to keep that a secret since Marra ordered her not to give a horse a name. Mansi continued with tales about lion men and monkey men. The stories seemed rather silly. Sunset preferred Frost’s stories. He rarely spoke, but his tales seemed more reasonable.

“Torrhen Stark had been our King in the North for a very long time. Then, the dragon king flew to Westeros. The dragon king burnt kings and stole their land.” Frost glanced from the corner of his eyes to see if his words upset Sunset. He often checked on her during everyone’s stories. She doesn’t appear bothered by them, so he continued. “The dragon king hungered for the northern land. Three dragons and all the armies from Reach, the West, Vale and Stormlands came to battle against the North. King Torrhen beheld the three dragons and surrendered. Torrhen had been a good king who wished to protect his people over pride. My ancestors didn’t hate Stark and didn't leave because of Stark. The dragon king would have been a terrible ruler. My ancestors knew of kings in Essos and their slaves. This dragon king had no slaves. Still, my ancestors rather die than serve any dragon kings. 'Die for Freedom.' My ancestors chanted.

'Freedom is a winter rose.' Torrhen told his people. 'It is beautiful and rare. It writhers away easily.'

My ancestors declared, 'our rose will grow free and radiant with warriors’ blood.' My ancestor left dragon rule and sailed away from the North."

“I always wondered where the name ‘Company of the Rose’ came from.” Eziyo Dymai had listened in on their conversation. He was the Second Sword of Braavos. He had been searching around the Free Cities for Bravos to fight in the upcoming war. Bravos preferred duels over wars. Still, he would continue to ask for volunteers. Though, Marra suspected, he was also a spy.

“My ancestors also brought winter roses to Lorath. The old Harvest Prince allowed a rose bush to grow in the maze.” Frost related. “Though, the sellswords weren’t allowed in the city for many years.”

“Are you going to visit the Patternmaker temple in Tyrosh?” It fascinated Eziyo. “I wonder if there is any correlation between the Patternmaker and the mazemakers.”

“A man doesn’t know nor wishes to enter the city.” Sunset wondered why Frost talked so particular. She was afraid to ask. She had been leery of upsetting him or any of the crew.

Also, she was apprehensiveness to speak. Her old master had beaten her viciously. He demanded her to be quiet. The memory sprung up in her mind and terrorized her. The sellswords had warmly invited her to converse with them on several occasions. Her tongue felt like sharp rocks in her mouth. It forbids her from speaking.

Sunset did gradually feel more comfortable with Frost especially after one incident on the beach. They had been washing the dogs on the shore of Tyrosh. When two Tyroshi walked towards them, the men were armed with swords. “Good day, have you seen any red priests boarding a ship recently?”

“A man has not seen any red-haired men.” Frost dumped some water on top of a dog.

“No, a red priest of R’hollor,” a Tyroshi man corrected. “Where are you from? What are you doing here?”

“A man is from Lorath and is part of a sellsword company. What did this red priest do?”

“He started a riot.” One of the Tyroshi came closer to them. He gave Sunset an impish grin, “you’re a pretty one. How much for your slave to entertain us?”

The dogs started to growl. “A woman is not a slave.” Frost signaled his dogs to jump out of the tub.

“I saw her tattoo. You stole her, which means we can take her if we want.”

Frost lifted up his battle axe, “Not without a woman’s permission. Men will lose hands and heads. Go now.” The Tyroshi men departed from them. Frost saw her shaking. He gently touched her face. “Woman is safe. Dogs always protect.” He handed her the brushes and carried the tubs back to the ship.

“No one has ever protected me before,” that thought raced through her mind. True, her master had once pulled a man off her. That was because the man didn’t have any money. These sellswords protected her. Sunset didn’t know how to respond. She pondered over this, while she and Frost ate dinner. They tended to eat alone. Frost noticed that dinner with the crew bothered her. After they finished dinner, Sunset crept to him and sat on his lap. It startled and embarrassed him. She fancied that reaction. Most men expected or demanded her on their laps.

“Does a woman wish a man to sing a song?” She nodded her head. This pleased Frost greatly. “Would a woman like it sung In Valyrian?” She shook her head. She preferred it in the unknown language. The drunk men would occasionally sing in Valyrian. They always sang for themselves. Frost sung for her.

Sunset wanted to show her appreciation. She proceeds to pull off her shirt until Frost stopped her. “No.” She kissed his lips. He softly pushed her aside. “A woman is not a thing.” He pointed to her blanket and small pillow. “Go to sleep.” She obeyed him and lied down.

When she awoke the following morning, Frost wasn’t there. Bathi gave her breakfast. Sunset panicked. Did she upset him? Did she hurt him? She recalled him saying no. She couldn’t eat. She stared at the door. They left it open during the day. It represented that she could leave whenever she wanted. She decided to test that, and she walked through the door. Sunset was confused on where to go. Eziyo saw her distress and correctly directed her the right way. Some of the sellswords were gathering to together eating their meals. They were mildly surprised as Sunset entered the room and walked around the table. She sat on Frost’s lap. Her eyes pleaded with him to forgive her. He nodded his head to her. She was relieved and rested against his chest. He strokes softly her hair. “A woman should eat.”

Her condition had been fragile. It continued this way as the ship arrived at Myr. Frost remained vigilant to keep her eating and calm. Sunset seemed calm with the dogs. Frost was motivated to have her meet the horses. She adored them. They were such powerful graceful animals. The ship didn’t stay long in port. Eziyo requested that they depart abruptly. He brought with him a mysterious woman and two children on board. The boy and girl fenced with Mansi and Tzilla. Sunset was ill at ease with fighting, so Frost had her care for the horses instead as they sailed to Pentos.

At Pentos, Sunset didn’t stay behind on the ship. None of them did. She traveled with the sellswords to the manse of Illyrio Mopatis. It was bigger than any house that she had ever seen. The manse had silks, satins and velvets. The aroma inside the manse had been various spices and flowers. Her skin crawled because all those things reminded her of the brothel. Sunset clung tightly to Frost. She breathed in deeply his scent. He smelled most times of wet dogs.

Eziyo Dyami bowed to Illyrio. “I must confess. I thought the message had been a lie.” Illyrio approached him. The man had a large belly.

In contrast, Eziyo was as lean as his sword. “It’s true. I’m sorry to say. The Sealord has received several reports from the citizens of Qohor who managed to escape. An enormous khalasar has conquered the city. My fellow Second Sword spied on Khal Pono’s men heading to Norvos.”

“What of the Unsullied in Qohor? Their three thousand?”

“As of last year, they have dwindled down to three hundred. I am trying to gather more allies, but –“

“Who would be willing to fight Dothraki?” Illyrio shared with him a knowing frown. “I doubted there would be any sellsword companies willing even for a large chest full of gold. I’m glad to be wrong. Though the Sealord actually hiring sellswords, this is surprising.”

“More desperate,” Eziyo accepted a drink from a servant. “With Volantis in chaos from slave riots, the three Free Cities in the South refused to join us. Some of Lorath and Ibbenese have agreed to lend support. Those men are mostly sailors.”

“We need land warriors.” Illyrio determined. He addressed Xandarro. “Have your men fought Dothraki before?”

“We have. It wasn’t a pleasant experience.”

“You survived. We are thrilled to have you.” Illyrio quickly glanced over the sellswords and spotted Sunset. “You have a victim from a Dothraki attack.”

“A victim of slavery,” Osric refuted. “If you have any medicine.”

“Of course, you’re are my guests here.” Illyrio warmly welcomed them. “Please rest. I have lodging set aside for all of you.” Eziyo stood next to Illyrio. “I have another matter to discuss with you in private.”

They were shown to their rooms. The place was big, opened and luxurious. Bathi, Mansi and Sunset were to share a room together. Sunset tried to sleep in the room that night. She closed her eyes and swore that she felt someone touching her. She opened her eyes to see no one there. Her eyes refused to close after that. She finally snuck out of the room and past the garden. Bathi quietly followed her to the kennels. Sunset laid down in the kennel. She found there that she could sleep. Frost and Bathi let her sleep there. They gave her a blanket and a pillow. She felt more comfortable with the dogs than in the silk bed in the sweet-smelling room.

Sunset became startled by the children walking by her in the morning. Mansi and Tzilla were with them. Tzilla saw tears in Sunset’s eyes and ran off to fetch Frost. Sunset had wished the little boy left. His eyes were strangely intense. Mansi falsely assumed that Sunset was frighten because he was a boy. The boy removed his shirt to reveal scales on his chest. This didn’t make Sunset calmer. She was so shocked by the deformed boy that she didn’t know how to respond. Mansi seemed strangely comfortable with him. The boy blushed and placed his shirt back on.

Tzilla dragged Frost over to them. “We didn’t mean to scare her.”

“Who is the boy?” Frost lowered his brow.

“Jorah,” the black-haired boy was a little hesitative to answer.

Frost was familiar with the name. “A name from Westeros.”

“I was named after a knight from Bear Island.”

“Ah, a Mormont,” Frost replied. “A man heard tales of women there turning into bears.”

The children wandered away giggling. Sunset crawled to Frost and hugged him. “Everything is fine.” He rubbed her head. “Mormonts are a small honorable house.”

Sunset was tempted to tell him that it wasn’t alright. The boy with scales was dangerous. When she was in his arms, her problems vanished from his mind. They had reappeared that night. The dogs growling woke her. Armed men raced past the kennel. She hid behind the dogs. Most of the intruders ignored the barking dogs. One man got annoyed and banged his sword against the gate. He spotted Sunset. “Look here. We got ourselves a pretty red she-dog in there.” He opened the kennel.

Illyrio’s dogs bolted out and drove most of the men away. Three men stood their ground. Frost’s dogs remained behind to defend Sunset. She urged the dogs to abandon her. She wasn’t worth saving. The sweet simple creatures were too loyal. They attacked the intruders. They took down one of them at the cost of two dogs. A giant axe slayed the other two intruders with one stroke. The dogs happily greeted Frost.

He had under his protection already a potboy and a washerwoman. Sunset raced over to the one injured dog. She torn a piece of her shirt and placed it on the dog’s wound. “A woman must press hard to keep blood in.” Frost tossed her a long strip of cloth. “Tie tight.” Once it was done, he waved to her. “Come, we must find the others. They’re in trouble.” He led them to the kitchen where he killed two more men. The two cooks were relieved to see him.

The fight was over soon afterwards. Sunset already determined that scaly boy was to blame for the attack. She couldn’t understand why they wanted the deformed boy. It didn’t truly concern her, so she focused on the dogs. She helped Frost bury his dead dogs and tended to injured dog, Streets.

While she gave the dog some water, a seemingly dark cloud appeared above her. As the dark cloud came closer to the ground, it revealed to be an actual dragon. There had been rumors about dragons freeing slaves. She heard slaves talking about it in Selhorys despite the punishment of losing one’s tongue for doing so. If the slave masters were scared of dragons, she was content to have a dragon with them. She amended as long as the creature wasn’t near her. The dragon devoured a cow like a man would a berry.

She enjoyed brushing the horses’ manes. “Marra can teach a woman to ride a horse if a woman wishes to learn.” Frost reconsidered it. “Perhaps, Tzilla would be a better teacher. The girl is very patient and kind. They can teach a woman, when they return from their ride.” He waited a few moments for Sunset to reply before he went back to hammering his last horseshoe.

Three men visited them. One was a scribe. One man looked like a Dothraki. The last man had sand color hair. They had been told that Illyrio had two Dothraki guests in his manse. The men conversed with Frost, and thankfully left Sunset alone.

She didn’t see the unknown woman with the silver golden hair and violet eyes. Until the woman popped up near her, she talked to Sunset. The woman reminded her of a painful memory from the brothel. Sunset strived to tell herself that this woman wasn’t the same woman. The woman had a similar voice and smile. Then, the woman mentioned, “somewhere safe,” which had been the same words as the vile woman. Sunset panicked and ran away from the nightmare to Frost. He wrapped his arm around and threatened the visitors to all leave. They departed.

He gently rubbed Sunset’s back as Marra and Tzilla jumped off their horses. “Dragon woman is gone. All dragon men and women cause strife.” Frost complained.

“So, you can talk,” Marra stared at Sunset annoyed.

“Did I…” Sunset’s voice trembled. She didn’t realize that she had spoken. “Was it wrong? Please, don’t punish me.”

Frost immediately assured her, “a woman did nothing wrong.”

“Except give us hassle for not speaking,” Marra scoffed.

Frost hinted strongly, “Marra needs to go sharpen her arakh.” Marra took the hint and left them alone. Tzilla went with her.

He waited for Sunset to calm down. “Why didn’t woman speak before?”

“I was afraid. I was afraid to say something wrong.”

“What wrong thing?”

“Why do you talk strange?” She prepared herself for him to hit her.

Instead Frost gently strokes her face, “a man is from Lorath. There saying words such as…” His expression showed his uneasiness. “You, she, I or he is considered obscene. All living creatures are equal. A man shouldn’t give himself such attention.” This seemed reasonable to her, though still strange. He held her hand. “What did dragon woman say to upset Sunset?”

“Dragon woman,” Sunset frowns. “I don’t know. It wasn’t what she said. She just resembled someone that I met once.” He rubbed her shoulder as she shivered. “Years ago, a Lysani woman and her lover came to our brothel. They purchased me and a male slave to entertain them. They played a sick game and hurt us all night long,” She collapsed on top of him crying.

Frost held her close to him, “it will happen no more. A woman will be protected.” He gave her a small dagger. “The blade was my mother’s. Not much is needed to defend one’s self. A man can train a woman to fight.”

“Thank you.” Sunset accepted the dagger. She was leery of learning to fight. “What was your mother like? Please tell me. I need something else in my mind.”

“Mother was a warrior and a she-cat of Northern Essos. Mother taught a man the history of her people. Her people helped keep the peace between Lorath, Norvos, Qohor and Ibben, since her old king bent the knee to the dragon king. Over time, her people had lessened in numbers until a new Torrhen came. His warrior brother, Daemon Stone, heard about the Company of the Rose. Torrhen Snow traveled there to meet my mother’s people. Their children married each other. In time, the Wolf Pack gave their sons and daughters in marriage as well. Her people seldom merged with other kingdoms. Her people only traded with them. Mother had been leery of Father when they met on Lorath. Father didn’t fancy mother. Mother was a sellsword. Father worried that sellswords were vicious and bloodthirsty. The sellsword company had just finished fighting Dothraki in the east. Mother stopped at the port for supplies. Father was a fisherman. Mother wanted a lot of fish complained that there wasn’t enough. Father was vexed by her demand. Father thought it greedy, until the man arrived at her ship. Two white cubs were nursing from a hill panther. The cubs were Hrakker. The lioness had been killed by the Dothraki. My mother took the cubs to the injured hill panther, who was able to care for them. Father was impressed by mother and joined in tending for the animals. When the cubs grew, they returned to the Dothraki Sea, and the hill panther was released south of Lorath. Father and mother married in the custom of both their people.”

“She was kind like you.” His words seemed like some wonderous dream. If it was truly a dream, she didn’t wish to wake from it.

News of Sunset speaking spread fast in the sellsword company. Osric took her speaking as a great improvement. He recommended more conversations and small gatherings. Cregan invited her to dine with them. Osric thought it was a good idea.

Cregan’s group consisted of Harlon, Donnis, Joramun, Umnia and Uneleena. They were all northern Westeros descent. Of course, Frost came with her. Cregan was the most outgoing of the group. His tongue wasn’t as skilled as his sword arm. “Do you remember anything about your father and mother?”

“No,” Sunset answered his blunt question.

Cregan shook his finger. “I bet they were Wildling because of her red hair.”

“The men and women of the Riverlands have red hair too.” Donnis countered.

“Red hair is common?” Sunset loathed her red hair because it made her stand out. Some men chose her simply for her red hair.

“It is in Westeros.” Cregan informed her. “After the war is over, we’re going to settle back in the North. You should come with us. There is no slavery in the Seven Kingdoms.”

Seven might kingdoms protecting her. Sunset adored the prospect. Experience still taught her to not trust it. Good kind things were either killed or stolen from her. The silver golden haired woman named Daenerys had been from Westeros. She had her son stolen from there. Osric suggested that Sunset come to the banquet. Illyrio was hosting it to ease tensions between the “Wolf of the Rose” and Daenerys. Frost was opposed to it. Both Xandarro and Sunset agreed to it. She wanted to show Frost that he didn’t have to worry about her.

During Illyrio’s banquet, Frost and Sunset sat on the opposite end from Daenerys. Most of the dinner conversation eventually centered on her and her dragon. Osric had been very optimistic about the upcoming war. “With a dragon on our side, our victory is most assured.”

“A lone dragon has been defeated before,” Maester Roone brought up. “The Dornish slayed one in the past.”

“A lucky shot,” Osric scoffed.

Cregan raised up his cup for more wine. “We won’t need luck with a dragon and the Unsullied fighting with us.”

“The Unsullied aren’t coming. She hasn’t sent for them.” Maester Roone informed them.

Everyone enjoyed the meal except Sunset. Her master would bring out lavish food and wines for those who paid handsomely. She knew it wasn’t the same and it shouldn’t bother her. Yet, their drunken laughter and strong sweet aroma rung harshly in her head. She couldn’t take it anymore and climbed onto Frost’s lap for relief. He carried her away from the others to a quiet corner. There, he sung softly to her.

Frost wasn’t the first man to treat her kindly. One evening at the brothel, four men came. One of them was a bravos who chose her. He talked at length about his many duels. When it came time to sleep with her, the bravos kissed her hand. “Sweet lady, have no fear. A true man desires love that isn’t brought. Go eat your fill and sleep undisturbed. I shall sleep over there. I bid you a good night.” Sunset woke refreshed with a full belly and a good night’s sleep. The next night turned sour. The man who paid for her treated her cruelly. As he tossed her around, she caught sight of the bravos dead on the street. Sunset now feared losing Frost.

“Please don’t go fight the Dothraki.”

“Children are in danger.” He muzzled her hair. “A man must fight to protect. A woman will still be able to sail to Westeros no matter the outcome.”

She saw in Frost’s eyes what kind of man that he was. He would die saving people. He didn’t deserve to die in a hopeless battle. She decided to make the odds in his favor. She took the dagger which he gave her and went to Daenerys’ bed chambers.

Her Dothraki guards never gave Sunset a second look. She walked past them. Daenerys was shocked to see her and the dagger. She threated to kill Daenerys if she didn’t agree to have the Unsullied join the war. Sunset knew that she would be executed for threating the dragon queen. She didn’t care. She stopped fearing death about a year ago.

Daenerys proved to be fiercer than she looked. She knocked Sunset aside. Her guards captured her. Sunset begged Daenerys to bring the Unsullied. Daenerys didn’t punish instead she let Sunset go. Frost was relieved to see her alright. He had been prepared to fight for her. Sunset felt defeated. For once, she wanted to keep him safe.

Miraculously, Daenerys and her dragon flew to retrieve the Unsullied for war. Frost asked Umnia to teach Sunset some basic move to fight with a dagger, while he taught her the Common Tongue. There was a brief skirmish before the war fully began. The first battle was fought in the fields of Pentos. It was over about the moment that it started. The Unsullied gave them an easy victory.

Sunset didn’t mind the Unsullied. They were well behaved and discipline. More men volunteered to fight. These soldiers made her uneasy. As they marched forward, she got distracted by riding a horse for the first time. It was marvelous. Though she didn’t have the endurance for a long ride. Frost carried her the rest of the trip on his horse. The army stopped and made camp for the evening. Sunset insisted on sleeping in his tent. Frost wanted her to share Umnia’s tent. He didn’t understand the situation. Sunset observed glances the other soldiers had given her. They would only cease if she seemed to belong to a big strong warrior.

“Only for tonight,” he begrudgingly allowed it. Naturally, they shared the tent with his dogs. Fisher and Mazzie slept beside her.

Frost rose with the morning. He was off scouting and speaking with the bearded priests. His dogs came with him except for Streets and Mazzie. They stayed behind to guard Sunset. She realized all the “Wolf of a Rose” company kept an eye on her. Umnia and Uneleena were chiefly responsible for her. Sunset believed them to be brother and sister. She felt embarrassed and apologetic, when she was informed that they’re both sisters.

Uneleena shrugged it off. “I’ve been called worse. I accepted long ago that I’m not pretty.”

“It’s better not to be,” Sunset glanced down. “Pretty can be rather painful.”

“That’s why we should be bears or wolves instead,” Uneleena amended. “Perhaps, a fox would be a better fit for you.”

She enjoyed Uneleena and her sister’s company. Still, Sunset counted the days until Frost returned to the camp. She ran and gave him a hug when he finally arrived. Frost blushed slightly. “Everything went well. The Norvosi will fight alongside us.”

He told Sunset about Norvos since he had visited there before. “Mother took a boy there for their festival. A man saw bears dancing. A man didn’t like it. Norvosi shave their hair off expect for bearded priest. A man found that strange. Norvosi make good wintercakes.”

“Do they have slaves there?” Sunset sipped some fermented goat’s milk that he brought back with him.

“Not anymore.”

“What changed their minds?”

“Mother said, ‘willing devotion is better and stronger than forced devotion.’ Bearded priest saw some slaves obey false orders, and some slaves abandon them. Norvos fell to the Dothraki because of it. Priest are more inclined to listen now.”

She found all his stories fascinating. She couldn’t believe that he wanted to listen to her stories. All her tales were either terrible or boring. Her mind dwelled on his tales as all the warriors left to fight in the battle of Norvos. Their armies defeated the Dothraki. The enemy retreated to Qohor. They held a small victory celebration. Sunset waited for Frost to return. She longed to show him how far she progressed in the Common Tongue. He had been making sure that the needs of the Norvosi were met.

Marra teased her about Frost, while they sat by the fire. She implied that Sunset was smitten with Frost. Did she feel this way? Sunset was flabbergasted. Her heart rejoiced at the idea. The sellswords talked about their futures. They envisioned big houses and great wealth. Frost had mentioned going to the North. He warned her. It was very different from where she had lived. That was a glorious thought. There would be nothing to remind her of her past. She could have a new better life. When Frost, Harlon and Umnia past nearby them, Sunset ran over to them. Marra smirked at Xandarro as if to silently brag.

A few Dothraki warrior were captured and chained up. They hadn’t determined yet what to do with the captives. The Dothraki seemed to be fearful and wrathful towards Harlon. Umnia clarified their reasoning. “Harlon descends from ‘Horsebane’ of the Company of the Rose. Long ago, Horsebane fought a horde of Dothraki. He slayed their leader and his horse. It was before we knew that the Dothraki worshiped a horse god. He noticed the Dothraki were livid which made it easier to kill them. He chopped down their horse during most battle. He took on the name Horsebane ever since. Harlon’s family no longer remembers his true name.”

Sunset beamed as Frost excused himself from Harlon and went over to her. He gently stroked her face. “Has a woman been alright?”

“Yes,” she grinned. “I know all the words to the song ‘Black Pine’. Would you like to hear me sing it?”

At first, Frost wouldn’t sing with her. She continued to encourage him to join her. His awkwardness fade after a little while. She adored that he still blushed as she climbed on his lap. She felt warmer near him. He believed it was due to the chill in the air. He made sure to wrap her up in a heavy blanket. The blanket never kept her as warm as his presences did.

Soon, Frost departed for the next battle in Qohor. Most of the sellsword company went with him. She didn’t want him fretting about her, since she would be near the dragon queen. Sunset confidently asserted to him that she would be fine. Though she chose to stay close to the famous warrior, Grey Worm for protection. She concentrated on him and hoped to get over her fear of Daenerys, since they often were together.

“The unending dance,” came up during Daenerys and Grey Worms’ conversation. Sunset preferred not to remember those words. Daenerys beseeched her to recall them. She claimed it was important. Sunset saw the desperation in her eyes and couldn’t refuse her. The information was to help find her scaly son. Sunset was pleased to help her. Daenerys was so overjoyed that she attempted to hug Sunset. Thankfully, Daenerys stopped before she did that. The memory of the “unending dance” had been connect to painful holding. Back then, a small group of sellswords had gone to the brothel to celebrate a victory in the Disputed Lands. A slave didn’t own anything including her own body. She called to mind how they touched her everywhere. Their grip was agonizingly tight. She was covered in bruises.

The dog Fisher knew she was scared. He nuzzled up against Sunset after she finished talking with Daenerys. His soft fur and sweet eyes kept the bad memories at bay for a short time. Once evening fell, she feared that the dog wouldn’t be enough to protect her from the nightmares. Frost had a habit of collapsing to sleep after the battle. He always slept on one side of the tent, while she slept on the other side. That night, she quickly crawled over to him as he laid down to sleep. He was instantly alarmed and attempted to sit up. She halted him. “I’m not going to hurt you. I just need you to hold me to keep the bad dreams away. Please.” He took a deep breath and wrapped his arm around her. She rested her head on top of his chest. Fisher walked over and smuggled against her back. They fell asleep.

Mazzie remained on the opposite side of tent as she had for a few days. The dog dragged over a blanket and hardly moved from the spot. Sunset began to worry about Mazzie. She thought the dog might be ill. Frost inspected her and smiled. “The dog is with pups.” He placed a bowl of water near Mazzie before he went to retire for night.

Sunset laid down next to him. “Do you think Mazzie knows that she is going to have pups?”

“A man doesn’t know. Creatures prepare for their young. Yet, there is much surprise in the animals’ eyes.”

“Even if you know, you can’t imagine what it’s like to hold a little baby in your arms.”

Her tone was so sad. Frost was apprehensive of asking, “Has a woman been with child before?”

“My master thought I was sick. He didn’t want to get sick too, so he summoned a healer. The healer told him that I was with child. I didn’t know how to feel about it then. My master was irritated since very few men would want to have relations with a woman heavy with child. Still, he let me give birth to my beautiful son. My baby was so happy and healthy. It didn’t matter if I had a bad day as long as I could hold him in my arms. After my son grew big enough that he didn’t need to nurse from me, a man came and brought him. I begged my master to refuse. My son had always been quiet and well behaved. My master shoved me aside and took the man’s money. I kicked, screamed and clawed to get my baby back. My master beat me to make me stop. It didn’t work. He grabbed his whip, which he seldom used. Bed slaves were supposed to look pretty. Men don’t fancy whip marks. My master was livid. He scourged me and locked me naked in the cellar. I was punished for months. I wished he had killed me. I wanted to die.”

Frost kissed her forehead. “A man vows once that war is over, a man will find a woman’s son.”

She knew he meant it. This frightened her. Most of the soldiers around her were afraid. The siege was about to turn bloody. Umnia told her that this is a hard siege. A soft siege is longer and safer. Its’ goal to starve the enemies out. If they did this, the captives would all die. They chose a hard siege. They torn a hold in the enemies’ wall. Many of their warriors would die during this attack. Umnia had heard of situation where warriors have used their fallen comrades’ bodies as ladders to get over the enemy’s wall. The thought of Frost dying made Sunset’s heart throb.

The night before the wall came down, she wished to tell him her feeling for him. “I love you.” She kissed him, and he kissed her back. She was thrilled. She took his action as an invitation to go further.

However, Frost tugged her shirt back down. “A woman makes her own choice and doesn’t follow a learnt habit.”

Sunset wanted to refute it, but there was a shear of doubt in her. “How would I know if it’s a true desire or a shadow of a forced command?”

“Once, a woman has her son back and lives safely in Westeros. If a woman still desires a man, they’ll marry.” He had always been such a quiet steady man that she never noticed before the fire in his eyes. He had a passion for her. He adored her too much to let it burn her. What did she do to deserve him? She wondered. Life is filled with so many wretch people.

The leader of the enemy Dothraki proved to be one of those treacherous people. If he couldn’t rule over several kingdoms, he was content to retire as a wealthy man far away. More than half of his army perished, so he could escape with Qohor’s riches.

Sunset was thrilled to leave the madness of war behind. Umnia had been excited as well. She was gathering all her family and belongings for their trip North. Harlon showed off their new weapons to Sunset. They were gifts from the people of Qohor for saving their city. Frost seemed glad by the victory. Though, he was very quiet during their journey back.

At Pentos, Sunset played and cuddled Mazzie’s three pups, while Frost spoke with Illyrio at length. When he had finished, they departed on a ship. She was surprised to find only Uneleena with them. “Where are the others? I thought all of us were going to Westeros together.”

“Our companions are sailing straight to the North. We are going to Volantis to retrieve a woman’s son.” Sunset started to shiver at thought of going back. Frost gently touched her shoulder. “A woman was strong for her son once. A man knows a woman will be mighty for her son now.” She took a deep breath and calmed down.  
All of the dogs stayed behind on the ship with Uneleena’s cousins. Volantis had an awful wet heat that tended to assault people as they walked through the city. Sunset vaguely remembered being sold in one of the markets here. It didn’t seem the same. Volantis appeared more ravaged. The smell of charred flesh was strong. She kept a firm grip on her dagger and walked closely to Frost and Uneleena. Very young children weren’t usually sold in the city markets. According to Illyrio’s old acquaintance, they were sold in large groups which is why they were sold in the place that children lived at. There were three well-known sellers. These slavers lived on the outskirts of Volantis.   
Frost, Sunset and Uneleena walked past two of these slavers’ charred bodies. One slaver escaped probably to Lys with a few of his slaves. They would journey there, if they couldn’t find her son in Volantis. The masters might have been dead, but the slave children were still kept there. The children were under the care of former slaves.  
They approached a man and a woman who had a heart tattoo on their faces. A former tiger cloak observed them from a distance. Sunset walked towards the woman. “I’m looking for my son.”  
“Of course,” the woman stared at Sunset’s tear drop tattoo. “Several freed slaves have reclaimed their children. Did they free you?” She gestured at Frost and Uneleena.  
“They never owned me.”  
“Wonderful,” the woman with the heart tattoo clapped her hands excited. “Please come this way.” They were taken behind a large fence where hundreds of children were playing in a field. A few men and women were watching over them. “What does your son look like?”  
“He has brown hair.” Sunset surveyed the children. Most of them had black or brown hair. A handful of them had blonde hair. It would have been easier if he had red hair like her. Suddenly, she realized, “he has freckles.” She pointed to her face. Everyone fanned out to search for the him. She dived through the sea of children until she found him. She fell to her knees in front of him. “My little boy,” he was the most remarkable thing to her.  
The four-year-old freckled boy dropped the ball that he had been playing with and slowly approached her. “Red?” His little fingers pulled out a red strain. He lifted it up next to her hair. It was indeed a strain of her hair. He leaped towards her.  
“My son,” Sunset caught him. She held him as he snuggled her. “I’m taking you home." Another little boy tugged on her leg. He had been her son’s friend. Her son and this boy silently pleaded with her. She went and picked up the other boy. They were both better off with her. It had pleased Sunset to know that she was giving her son a better life. She carried them over to Frost.  
A woman with a fiery heart tattoo interfered. “You can’t take him.” She pointed to Sunset’s son. “He is to be given to the Lord of Light.”  
“He can have another boy.” Sunset recognized the unknown woman’s voice. The voice had constantly been in her nightmares. It was the slave who carried her son away in Selhorys.   
Sunset attempted to whip out her dagger, but it was impossible to do with two small boys in her arms. “I cursed you. I wished you died.”  
“All good mothers do,” the older woman smiled sadly. “Let them go.”  
They departed with the little boys and returned to their ship. When Uneleena’s cousin caught sight of the other boy, he adored him. His wife had recently miscarriage. They viewed him as a gift and a comfort. They took him as their son. The boys were introduced to the pups. They loved the furry creatures. At dinner, the boys devoured large amounts of food. Sunset sat next to Frost. She whispered into his ear. “I don’t have a name for my son.” She didn’t want to give him a cruel slave name. She didn’t know any other boy’s names.  
Frost considered this for a moment. “Hallis.”  
Her son was delight. The old masters never named the children. Most children couldn’t remember the names that their parents had given them. Hallis enjoyed sailing and staring out at the sea. He clung closely to his mother.  
They shared the same fear. Sunset begged Frost to stay near her at night. She worried about waking up screaming and scaring her son. She hoped her son, Frost and the dog Mazzie would prevent any nightmares from coming. Both her son and her had a few nightmares during the voyage. Regardless, all of them were very happy.  
White Harbor wasn’t anything like they expected. The buildings, clothing and people looked different. It smelled like fish as most ports did. It also had aroma of old people. Sunset had a difficult time understanding most of the people there. They spoke the Common Tongue too quick for her. Umnia came to greet them at the harbor.  
After she hugged her sister Uneleena, Umnia informed them. “There is free land for us to settle at in the Gift.”  
“Why would they give us land?” Uneleena suspected something wrong being hidden from them.  
“It’s been abandoned for many years even before the war with the Night King. The land is near the Wall and the Wildlings. Despite the peace, no one wants to settle there for fear of raids.” Umnia shrugged it off. “We have dealt with enemies living near us and have made allies. The land is vast. I say we take it.”  
The group agreed to go. They desired the large tract of lands for the livestock. They promptly returned to their ships and sailed up the Last River. The trip on the river was shorter and easier than the journey on land. The terrain was steep and covered in trees. They had brought a few garrons to pull their wagons. However, the wagons were few and filled with their supplies. Most of the group had to walk and guide the herds.  
As they reached Last Hearth, Lord Umber offered to let them stay and rest at his castle. Sunset and Frost had been among those invited to dine with the lord of castle. She had never truly noticed before how uncomfortable Frost was in large gatherings. She reasoned that it was due to her own terror overshadowing it. Their manners were so different from Essos. It felt more relax. The strong drinks had been different too. She dared to try a sip of the black beer. She immediately spit it out.  
Thankfully, no one took offense to it. Lord Umber chuckled, “do you like our beer?”  
“Good,” she held up her cup.  
Lord Umber laughed again. He then turned serious as he looked at Donnis. “You do know if you settle in the Gift, a portion of your harvest will go to the Night’s Watch. Granted, they are a small group. Our crops don’t grow as well as those southern crops.”  
“We don’t back away from a fight especially one with oats.” Donnis spoke in behalf of the group.  
“I admire your spirit.” Lord Umber inquired, “have you determine a name for your house yet?”  
“Well, our sellsword company was called the ‘Wolf of the Rose.’”  
Lord Umber shook his head and twisted his face, “that’s a terrible name. You need to find a better one.” He talked with Donnis most of evening. Though, Donnis’ attention had been inclined towards the lord’s pretty niece.  
In the morning, they rode out to the Queenscrown. It had been an old settlement. They hoped that they could salvage something from the ruins. Only one tower remained surround by a lake. It needed some repairs.  
Sunset’s son had been playing with his friend from Essos in a field, while most of the warriors scouted the terrain. She kept watch over him and the goats. The ground shook, and there was a loud thud. A full-grown mammoth wandered by to munch on a tree. After the Night King torn down part of the Wall, a herd of mammoth came through. They were enticed by the large fields of trees. There had been elephants in Volantis. The Volantese elephants were mere children compared to the mammoths. She felt fear and awe at the sight of them. Most of the people and creatures kept their distance from the mammoths. Sunset bravely walked to one of the large beasts. Her curiosity overweighed her fear. Since the mammoth didn’t mind her, she carefully pressed her ear up against it. She heard something remarkable. “It’s pregnant. We should plant some more trees for the furry elephants.”  
“Mammoths,” Joramun mildly corrected her. He glanced around at the tents being set up for the night. “That’s the problem. Should we be building houses or clearing land for crops?”  
“We could do both.” Frost suggested. “If we used the land already cleared by the mammoths, it would be less of a burden.”  
They took Frost’s advice. They turned over the land and plowed it. Sunset and her son helped plant seeds and later harvest crops. Her favorite crop was apples. The apple trees had already been growing near the lake. Still, Frost planted more apple trees for her. They had built five houses, when the mountain clan House Norrey visited them. Umnia thought it would be for the best to build friendships with their neighboring noble houses.Lord Norrey believed it was a bad idea to not slaughter all the mammoths. They had found the mammoths useful in clearing their land. The mammoths were no threat to them. They were rather fond of them. The image of the mammoth became their sigil.   
Harlon took one of Lord Norrey’s daughters, Raya as his wife. Raya’s friend was wedded the following fortnight. Both wedding feasts were joyous occasions. Her friends’ feast ended differently. Lord Norrey beckoned the young woman to his bed. Neither the woman nor her husband wished for this. Sunset recognized under their submissive expression a strong refusal. Every bed slave knew and had that expression. She wasn’t a slave anymore. She yanked at her dagger and pointed it at Lord Norrey. “No!”  
Lord Norrey had been startled at first by her yelling. He composed himself. “This is our old law of the first night. You must not interfere.”  
“That law was abolished hundreds of years ago.” Harlon stood up.  
Lord Norrey insisted, “we still adhere to all the old ways.”  
“That was never the old way.” Frost spoke with authority. His mother had been a faithful follower of the old way. “Any man who was caught stealing another man’s woman even for one night lost his hands and his head. The legend of the great chieftain bestowing the honor of his seed. That was a lie. The truth is the defeated Red King created the first night to control his people since the Red Lord no longer could use skin torture. Weak stupid lords adopted the practice. We are not so foolish.” Frost supported Sunset. His comrades in arms stood by them.   
Lord Norrey turned to his own men for support. They were hesitative to raise their own swords. Perhaps, it was out of fear or a lack of conviction. Lord Norrey quickly yielded. He remained at the feast and retired to his tent alone and bitter. Umnia attempted to relieved some of tension with gifts given to the lord.  
Once their visitors left, they returned to building more houses. Sunset received her own home with a small kennel and an apple trees adjoining it. Frost had delivered to her some goat cheese and smoked meat one evening. She held his hand. “I want you to stay with me tonight and always.”  
“A woman… you wish to marry me?” Frost had been struggling to speak as a Westerosi.  
She wrapped her hands around his hand. “I do fervently desire to be your wife.”  
He kissed her hand. The following night, they were married under a weirwood tree. Her son and his uncle bore witness. Hallis was happy for he had already looked upon Frost as a father. A few mammoths became mothers that same year. Everything proved fruitful. They had two bounteous harvests. The mammoth dung proved to be great for the crops.  
This was a great blessing since winter soon came after. They had to give a portion of their food to the Night’s Watch. They decided to visit the Night’s Watch at the Eastwatch by the Sea. While they were there, Umnia hoped to make an alliance with the Wildlings. She planned to have her sister marry their leader Tormund or one of his sons.  
Uneleena instead became smitten with a Wildling named Aemon Steelsong. She was enchanted by his skill with the lute. His smiles made her heart flutter. She grabbed some rope during a feast and tied him up. “I wish to steal you if I may.”  
The rope was loose enough for him to free himself. “Well fair maiden, I am yours to take.” Aemon was thoroughly amused and delighted.   
This wasn’t at all how Umnia had planned it. They received a good reputation among the Free Folk. Aemon and Uneleena were married.   
His surname Steelsong became the name of their house. Their sigil was a mammoth. House Steelsong requested of the Queen in the North protection for their mammoths from poachers. She granted it. House Steelsong settled at the Queenscrown. Sunset lived there as a free woman with her family.

**Author's Note:**

> For more information, please go to https://aurora-light-blog.tumblr.com/


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